Puerto Rico
Farmer Aikza Quinones and her daughters receive assistance with their business plan from staff member McKenzie Boekholder.
Farmer Profile — Carrasquillo Family
Donald Carrasquillo, Aikza Quinones and two of their daughters Ashley (age 16) and Alysha (age 15) graduated from the NESFP training program in February, 2007. The Carrasquillo family farms on a half acre plot at Smith Farm, in Dracut, MA. Two other daughters, age 12 and 9, also enjoy helping out on the farm from time-to-time. This interview this interview was conducted in July 2007, with help from Alysha, who interpreted for her parents.
The family grows a diverse group of crops, including: bell peppers, Cuban peppers (also known as aji dulce, a kind of sweet pepper), cherry tomatoes, sun gold tomatoes, Washington tomatoes, yellow beans, green beans, white beans, red beans, broccoli, cauliflower, cilantro, celery, lettuce, arugula, black simpson lettuce, romaine lettuce, onions, basil, and sweet potatoes.
The Carrasquillo family left Puerto Rico ten years ago to move to the States. With the exception of a two-year hiatus in Puerto Rico, the family has stayed in Lawrence ever since they arrived here. The family's initial stay in the U.S. was difficult (the family had to stay in a shelter when they first arrived). Aikza says that in Puerto Rico, her family was always around to support her. It was difficult for Aikza to move from her town in Puerto Rico, which she knew very well, to a place where she was not at all familiar. Though Donald's native Spanish language skills allowed him to operate comfortably in Lawrence, he felt limited in his ability to communicate outside of his immediate surroundings.
Though the initial adjustment was difficult, the Carrasquillo's eventually made the decision to remain permanently in the States. They took a number of factors into consideration, including the quality of the education system. Both Donald and Aikza indicated that the education and healthcare systems are far superior in the States. Also, Donald mentioned that you can't go anywhere in Puerto Rico without wasting hours sitting in traffic. Aikza said that it's difficult to live with the fear of property damage from severe weather. Both Donald and Aikza had lost family homes in hurricanes.
Over the years, a number of family members have followed Donald and Aikza to the U.S. Donald has four siblings who now live in the States, and another of Donald's siblings is on his way here. Also, Donald's Mom and Dad currently live in Lawrence. Aikza has three siblings and several cousins who live in the States.
Donald reminisced about the times when he was a child in Puerto Rico. He would visit his grandfather's farm and watch the bulls plow the red clay soil of the fields. Donald grew up on his father's farm, where they grew gandul beans, and he drank fresh milk from cows and goats. The family had their own pigs, chickens, turkeys, horse, rabbits, and guinea pigs. When Donald was young, his family rented out 20 acres of land to farmers who raised cows and pigs. Now, when Donald returns to his childhood home in Puerto Rico, he sees a different landscape. The farmland was sold to developers, and the land is now filled with houses. Aikza grew up on a farm where the family produced fruits for personal consumption. She remembers her Mom making juice from freshly picked papaya, guava, lemon, mango, passion fruit, and tamarind.
After graduating from the NESFP training program in February, the Carrasquillo family formulated plans to tap into the local markets to sell their produce before they planted their first seed. This advance planning has allowed the family to enjoy many diverse local outlets for their produce this year. In addition to participating in the World PEAS Cooperative, the family has worked independently to establish their own markets. They sell to a local pizzeria, a nursing home, small ethnic grocery stores, and a flea market. In addition, from time-to-time, they set up a farm stand in their front yard, where they sell their fresh produce to neighbors who walk or drive by. They also give excess produce to a church.
Aikza was surprised by the bountiful harvest that her family produced this year. Though they consider their operation to be successful, they realize that there are many potential areas of improvement for next year. Donald said that for the next growing season, he will "start to plan in November". Also, next year the family will focus more on diversification of crops, and, rather than send away for seedlings, they will start all of their seeds at home. If Alysha has anything to say about it, next year's crop will also include corn, which she loves to eat. Also, Donald and Aikza agree that they would like to farm on a larger plot next year.
Donald's father, who also lives in Lawrence, is thrilled to have the chance to help out at the family farm. Donald and Aikza have come a long way from their childhood home, but their three-generation farm allows them to re-live their farming past. Donald places high priority on giving his daughters the opportunity to grow up with exposure to farming. Donald insists, "my daughters will not grow up with a diet of Burger King and McDonalds".
Country Facts
Puerto Rico's fertile soil supports one of the densest populations in the world. The Puerto Ricans are descended from Spanish colonists and also from Native Americans and Africans. Spanish and English are the official languages, although Spanish is predominant. Roman Catholicism is the main religion. Spanish is the medium of instruction, but English is studied as a second language by all students.
Location: Puerto Rico is located in the Caribbean Sea, about 1,000 mi east-southeast of Miami, Fla.
Capital: San Juan, 433,412
Area: 3,459 sq mi (8,959 sq km)
Climate: Mildly tropical
Terrain: Puerto Rico has a mountainous, tropical ecosystem with very little flat land and few mineral resources.
Land Use: Arable land 4%
Population: 3,927,188
Life Expectancy: 78.4
GDP per capita: $72.52 billion; per capita $18,500
Under 5 mortality rate (per 1000 live births): 9.1/1000
Ethnic Groups: Almost entirely Hispanic
Languages: Spanish and English
Major Religions: Roman Catholic 85%, Protestant and other 15%
Agriculture
Livestock raising (for meat and dairy production) has surpassed the growing of sugarcane as the main agricultural pursuit in Puerto Rico.
Manufacturing replaced agriculture as the greatest contributor to Puerto Rico's national income mainly because of "Operation Bootstrap," which from the 1940s attracted U.S. firms to the island through the use of tax exemptions.
Agriculture Products: sugarcane, coffee, pineapples, plantains, bananas; livestock products, chickens
Traditional Foods
Puerto Rican cooking is a unique tasty blend of Spanish, African, Taíno, and American influences, using indigenous seasonings and ingredients such as coriander, papaya, cacao, nispero, apio, plantains, and yampee. Locals call their cuisine "cocina criolla", or Créole cooking. Puerto Rican cooking can be traced back to the original inhabitants of the island, who thrived on a diet of corn, tropical fruit, and seafood. When Ponce de León arrived with Columbus in 1493, the Spanish added beef, pork, rice, wheat, and olive oil to the island's foodstuffs. Soon after, the Spanish began planting sugarcane and importing slaves from Africa, who brought with them okra and taro (known in Puerto Rico as yautia). The mixing of flavors and ingredients passed from generation to generation among the different ethnic groups that settled on the island, resulting in the exotic blend of today's Puerto Rican cuisine.
